Team America: World Police

Team America: World Police is everything this past summer's Thunderbirds should have been: an entertaining action-adventure set in a world populated by marionettes.

Written and produced by the creative team behind South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, it comes as no surprise that the script is full of foul language, bloody violence and graphic sex -- the latter sequence is the most original and hilarious of the year. There are also a handful of songs with offensive lyrics, and the film skewers notable Hollywood activists/celebrities (none of whom lent their voices), who look eerily like their real-life counterparts.

After Team America inadvertently destroys several of the world's most renowned monuments while hunting down terrorists, a public backlash ensues. The protesters are led by members of the Film Actors Guild (F.A.G.), including Alec Baldwin, Tim Robbins and Michael Moore. The outspoken actors are then invited to attend the World Peace Conference by Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il, who has staged the event as a distraction to massive attacks around the globe. The gung-ho team must therefore save the planet and redeem themselves.

Parodying several blockbusters from the last decade, there are numerous explosions and an amusing disaster sequence. This adds to the fun, as the marionettes cavort about the elaborate sets in ways only Parker and Stone could imagine. Team America: World Police is pure delight. Rating: 7 out of 10.